Thesis Title

Author

Date of Graduation

Fall 2002

Degree

Master of Arts in Religious Studies

Department

Religious Studies

Committee Chair

Charles Hedrick

Subject Categories

Religion

Abstract

This paper explores the role of 1 Corinthians 14:33b in the context of 14:26-40 and attempts to determine whether the proper placement of 14:33b is with 14:26-33a, which defines orderly Christian worship, or with 14:34-35/36, a proclamation that appears to forbid speaking roles for women in assemblies. The proper placement of 14:33b in context is vital to understanding the meaning of 14:26-40, but also Paul's conception of Church order, the role of women in the early church, and in churches today. The study explores the question of how to place 14:33b in 14:26-40 through a variety of approaches: linguistic, lexical, and social-historical. The paper also explores the question of whether 14:33b/34-35/36 is original to 1 Corinthians, or if it is a later interpolation.